A New Addition

One of the most exciting things that can happen to a homeowner is to build on a new addition... Whether it be adding on a 2 car garage, a new bathroom, a screened in porch, or maybe even creating a master suite - it can make your home seem brand new... Now - that doesn't mean that it will always be an easy process to get it there... As most of you know - when you are "remodeling" - normally your life feels like it's in shambles... Nothing is in its place - there is clutter everywhere... You (at times) feel as though you have no control... But the end result - Oh, yeah... Totally worth it... Even though it was difficult to get there - you wouldn't change a thing...

Now - one of the most exciting things that can happen to a married couple is to add a new addition, which is what just happened for my brother and his family... They (in what seems to be one of the quickest deliveries in history) gave birth to a beautiful baby boy...

While being one of the most humbling experiences in life - bringing a child in the world is so exciting - and it makes your family feel brand new... Now - is the 9 month process leading up to the delivery easy - nope... It's hard from the time she feels nauseous until weeks after the baby arrives... But the end result - Oh, yeah... It's totally worth it... Even though it can be difficult - no way would you change a thing... New additions totally change your life... In this example, though - the clutter doesn't go away with the dumpster... You just keep adding more and more and more... Is it time to build on..?

Ring That Bell

Tonight something happened in the life of our ministry that hasn't happened in almost a year... The ringing of bells filled the auditorium... It started with a G and then worked it's way down the octave - hitting every beautiful note in between... We played individual tones and chords alike... We played complex rhythms followed by simple melodies... It was a glorious sound that was produced by our 5 'Bell Chimers'...

Each year we prepare a hand bells number for our Student Christmas Program... I make out a chart for some Christmas tunes and I teach my students something that they've never done... Most of which have never even seen a hand bell before... Now - I'm sure their grandparents have - but it's not something you see much in the church anymore - at least not at "Contemporary" churches... We have seen bells, organs, and often times many orchestral instruments find their way out of our worship services... It would seem that those types of instruments don't hold the attention of our Pop Culture Churches anymore... Now - keep in mind that I am a HUGE fan of relevant and contemporary worship... I believe that (as a leader in the church and as a worship leader) that we are responsible for writing and arranging songs that are anthems for our lives and an outcry of our spirit to the Lord... That's why when I write a praise and worship song - I use 'Rock' instrumentation: Guitars, drums, etc... I like over driven and distorted guitar... I like well played drum kits... I even like electronic loops and sequences being played...

And maybe it's my partial Methodist upbringing or my formal music training - but I always enjoy the sounds these bells make... I enjoy the resonance that each 'ding' provides and seeing 10 hands make exciting music from these brass bells always warms my insides... I see my students get excited about an activity that I've only ever seen people my parent's age enjoy (now I know if my mother is reading this that she is now offended) but seeing a teenager feel proud of what they have accomplished is so amazing... I guess this goes to show that not everything old is bad... It still has value and can be appreciated by every generation... Now - don't think I'm putting these students in robes and so forth... Oh, no... We'll have black lights and cool scarves on to make it look amazing... So - what do you say? Are you ready to be a 'ding dong'?

My Dance Card Is Open

One of my wife's favorite shows is "Dancing With the Stars" on abc... It takes celebrities (many of which are trying to make a 'come back' or are trying to establish themselves in the industry) and matches them with a professional ballroom dancer... They train week after week to perform one, two, or sometimes three dances for a panel of judges and millions of voters... They train rigorously for five days and are expected to offer their best dance each Monday night... Tuesday then comes and somebody is going home... Sadly - each week one of the contestants is voted off the show by the fans votes, or lack there of... But they give their very best effor to dance and impress both the judges and the fans...

I enjoy ballroom dancing very much... In fact - I took three semesters of ballroom dance in college and really enjoyed it... I even won a few ribbons in my time, but that's a different story for a different time... But I think dancing is important... It can be done for fun (school dance), in celebration (a wedding), for competition (ballroom, cheerleading, dance team, etc.) There are several occasions that inspire us to dance - all of which can bring a smile to your face...

I was priviliged to be a part of such a celebration this past weekend... In our student worship service we did a song that - uhh... "Encouraged" dancing... We were singing songs about clapping our hands and shouting for the Lord... (Psalm 47) And then we sang songs about dancing before Him...

"David... danced before the LORD with all of his might." (2 Samuel 6:14)

It was so powerful to be with 100 students dancing with reckless abandon before our God... However - I'm sure many would not approve of our behavior in a "church setting"... Sometimes - it seems like many Christians don't want to emulate the man who was said to be "after God's own heart"... "'I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.' (Acts 13:22) Why is that? I don't know... It would make sense to me that we should model someone that has a heart after God, but that's not always the case, is it..? Much like the "spiritual folk" in Footloose - many feel that dancing is not for the children of God... But if you look in the Bible like our friend Ren McCormick - you will see that God has a different perspective... "There is a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance..." (Ecclesiastes 3:4)

So - "Everybody cut foot loose!"

That Time Already

It's amazing... "It" is in the air... It's in the shopping malls... It's filling the aisles of your local Wal Mart... It is even finding it's way to radio stations across the world... Christmas is coming! I know, I know - we haven't even gotten to Thanksgiving, yet... But, rest assured - Christmas is already showing it's beautiful face... I know all of this because I have been to the mall and Wal Mart... I've have flipped through stations on the radio... My best friend has already put up three Christmas trees at his house (He says his wife "made" him, but I have my suspicions...)

I don't mind, though... It's my favorite time of year... Which is partly why I'm already excited to be planning our student Christmas program at our church... We are planning songs, videos, dramas, and (of course hand bells) that will bring forth the sounds of the season... It's an exciting time that, though it's a great deal of work, is always a joyous occasion full of excitement and wonderful memories...

Maybe a large part of it is the excitement of Christ's birth... Remembering the account of Jesus Christ came to earth as a baby through His mother, Mary... We think about His birth in Bethlehem - and the wise men visiting - and the shepherds and the angels... But you know what else it makes me think of? His return! Now that's a season I will be ready to sing about!!! "Joy to the world - the Lord is 'coming'!"

Off To Bed

Well tonight's the night... It's been 3 months with our little boy sleeping in his bassinet in our bedroom - or in a hospital bed... But tonight his mommy got him fed - put him to sleep - and took him to his bed in his room... This is pretty difficult for us, though, because he's only ever napped in there... He's a good 12 feet further away now -what if he needs us? Well - I know it will be fine... We have the monitor next to my ear so if he even moves in the night - I'll hear it... But there's something about being in 'plain sight' that provides a certain comfort... If I can see him - I know he's there and he's fine... But if I can't see him - I have to rely on him to cry loud enough or for the equipment to work properly so I can get to him and meet his needs... I know it's the best thing for him to be in his bed - I just need to have faith that he's going to be fine in there all by himself... It's difficult to have faith in things that you cannot see... That's kind of the purpose of faith, I guess...

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." (Hebrews 11:1)

We have to believe that God will take care of us even when we don't see Him right there... He is always there to take care of us when we need... He's just a good Dad and gives us our own space sometime so we can do some things on our own... Much like my son - we need to become comfortable in our surroundings and know that our 'Dad' is going to be 12 feet away and listening for our cries... He'll be there the moment we need Him... So rest well in your 'own beds' tonight... Daddy's close by...

Veteran's Day

It's always a humbling experience for me when Veteran's Day comes around... When I see flags lining the road or cemetery, or a beautiful picture display of men and women serving (both past and present) in the armed services - I'm brought back to the reality that those 'Bill of Rights' and liberal "freedoms" that we often 'throw around' were not cheap... They were AND STILL ARE being paid for at a high price... Many leave their mothers and fathers at a mere 18 years of age - others leave behind a fiance or expecting mother... Some miss out on their little children growing up over a year or two year... Many a soldier slide through sticky jungle heat - Others battle the bitter cold - and many trudge through dry desert conditions... Why? So we don't have to... They go and spend their days being shot at, ridiculed, (at times) unsupported, and putting their lives on the line each day for our 'right to live'... Many even pay the ultimate price for their service - and leave wives, children, mothers and fathers, and families to pick up the pieces of their heroic efforts...

I know not every soldier in our Armed Forces is a Christian or loves the Lord - but I'm in awe of their willingness to act like Him... By that I mean - be willing to lay down their lives for people they don't know and probably never will... Many, of which, take their sacrifice for granted... But they do it anyways...

"Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13)

Many of us would willingly die for our spouse, our children, our families, or our friends... But how many would die for a complete stranger..? How many of us would die for someone that would never know or appreciate our sacrifice..? Jesus Christ died for everyone that ever lived or will be on this earth... He died for the Pharisees and even gave His life for the soldiers that beat Him and nailed Him to the cross... And you know who else He died for - me... Someone who is ungrateful and disgraces His sacrifice more than I care to mention... But His death gave me freedom - freedom from sin and from death... Much like our soldiers - Jesus sacrificed everything to keep me free...

So - don't forget to thank our Veteran's for their sacrifice... But more importantly - thank Jesus Christ daily for His sacrifice! God bless America!

Can't Get Used To It

Even after 2 straight months of pricking and sticking - I can't get used to seeing my son have blood work done... It's bad enough that twice a day his mother and I have to give him blood thinning shots to make sure his blood stays at a normal level (and we still don't know how long we are going to have to do that)... But once a month now we go in for 'blood work'... For most of us this would be a fairly easy process - Show up, get stuck, draw the blood, and you're out... Not the case for our 12 week old son... His little veins are so small that it's next to impossible to find... It's pretty much the same every time - First tech tries a few times - feels bad and gives up... Then enter the next tech - same thing... Finally (5 or 6 sticks later) someone else comes in and tries it 'one more time' - and finally gets the blood drawn... There's not much worse than seeing and hearing your little boy scream in agonizing pain and you can do NOTHING about it... If only you could take the needles instead... If that could be you they were trying to take blood from...

I spoke of this situation in a communion meditation a few weeks ago during a church service - well - I blubbered through it... It's odd to think that God has shown me good things in this experience, but He has... I am learning more and more about how much He ACTUALLY loves us... He would let His Son, Jesus, go through being beaten, flogged, hit with a staff, having a crown of thorns shoved on His head, and nailed to a cross and suffocate... Why? For me and my sinful nature... He allowed His son to go through all of that and die - for me - a sinner... When I think about how much I hate to see my little boy go through this - it makes me look at things a little bit different... My Heavenly Father loves me so much...

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son - that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)

Thanks, Father... For loving me THAT MUCH!

Dad Day

Monday's are continuing to become one of my favorite days... Lately that has increased due to the fact that I spend Monday's with my son... Due to working on Sundays - many of us take Monday off... So instead of grandma - he gets "Dad" for the day... We play - we nap - we eat - we poop... We get to go in rides in the truck - many of times we'll find ourselves at the orchard getting apple cider donuts... They're delicious - at least he likes them - ha (he's only 12 weeks old, but I tell people they are for him...)

It's important for he and I to have a strong relationship... There is something hardwired inside of us that we are connected to our mothers - perhaps the whole 9 months in the womb and umbilical cord have a deeper impact than we know (I sometimes still have to remind my wife to 'cut the cord!') But it's more work to stay close to your father... Whether that be from working long hours to support the family, or (for some) they're more interested in hanging out with their buddies or watching football... But so much with our children is based off of the relationship with their daddy... Many experts say that social skills, intelligence, and even sexual health and preference come from relationships (both healthy and unhealthy) with the father... And that's just one of the many reasons that I know I am blessed... My parents were both there for me and were commited to each other for the long haul... That's impressive and quite rare... But what a great example for me to follow in being commited to my wife and raising Godly children... So thanks, Mom and Dad...

I love 'Dad Days' and I pray that I never grow tired of them... The truth is - I know he's going to grow up fast... There may even come a day when he doesn't want to be around me, but I know that these days spent together are going to impact him for the rest of his life - and that's my job - to make sure he grows up to be strong in the Lord...

"Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it." (Proverbs 22:6)

No-Shave November

My wife and I are very similar... And the longer we are married - the more (or so it appears) we are becoming even more similar... We use the same words - we enjoy the same types of food and restaurants... We enjoy the same television shows (well - mostly!)... We are two 'peas in a pod' are my wife and I... There is one thing we do differ on - and that is the (not so well known) phenomenon of "No-Shave November"... I think it's pretty cool - my wife? Does not... She thinks that long, scraggly hair off of my face isn't very 'becoming'... She would prefer that I keep my grooming to where she can actually 'see' my face... I guess I should take that as a compliment, though... But there's something - oh, what's the word... MANLY about 'No-Shave November'... I'm not sure why the idea of letting your beard get as long as possible over a span of 30 days is so attractive to me, but I know many a men who would enjoy it - if their wives, mothers, or girlfriends would allow it! 

There must be some type of 'power' that comes along with it... Maybe that's why Sampson went for the whole Nazirite vow, thing... 

" 'During the entire period of his vow of separation no razor may be used on his head. He must be holy until the period of his separation to the LORD is over; he must let the hair of his head grow long." (Numbers 6:5)

Maybe in his quest to be a strong man of God with his Nazirite vow -  in turn God made him a strong man...  He was a judge that God appointed to rescue Israel for a time... Now granted - it all didn't work out the way I'm sure he and his family imagined it would - he had some trouble following the Nazirite rules (wine, dead things and - of course - women)... But Samson did destroy the Phillistines that were oppressing the Israelites - but it took taking his own life to do so... 

So - for all of us out there that are being ridiculed for our 'burly', 'semi-lumberjack-ish' appearance this November- stay strong, my friends... And if it gets too much for you - tell them that you might lose your strength if you shave off your beard or cut your hair... And she doesn't want that - who will kill the spiders, take out the trash, and rake those leaves!